


Lost in Japan

by SecretLifeofArwen



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretLifeofArwen/pseuds/SecretLifeofArwen
Summary: When Kagami's twin sister moves to Japan, the Generation of Miracles finds themselves completely smitten. But there's one who is determined to make her theirs. She finds herself getting lost in Japan while he finds himself getting lost in her.
Relationships: Generation of Miracles/Reader, Kagami Taiga/Reader
Kudos: 14





	1. Welcome Note

Notes: 

  * set in Kagami, Kuroko, and the GoM's second year of high school (after the Winter Cup)
  * I cried so much when Kagami left Japan in the movie ending so we're going with the manga ending where he doesn't (so I've heard anyway)
  * they're still part of their respective school teams but they're also still going collectively as Vorpal Swords
  * I'm holding the third-years back a year because I love Kasamatsu and Mayuzumi too much to let them go



Find the Spotify playlist I'll be making as I write this here -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JtTAev1hryPT98lS1uIHv?si=pd2W7w4dRyinT8V8FxXVxw 

share, comment, leave kudos, whatever. Constructive criticism welcome! 


	2. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find the Spotify playlist I'll be making as I write this here -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JtTAev1hryPT98lS1uIHv?si=pd2W7w4dRyinT8V8FxXVxw

We’d been together from day one and now he was leaving. His bags sat by his feet and his headphones were looped around his neck. His arms tightened around me when a sob tore its way up my throat. 

“I’ll come for you,” I promised. “I’m finishing this year here and then I’m coming to Japan.”

I felt him nod, his chin resting on top of my head. 

“I’ll be waiting,” he murmured. 

Our mother placed her hands on my shoulders and gently pulled me back. His arms fell and he grabbed my hands. 

“A year will fly by in no time. Just you wait,” he smiled sadly. 

Nodding, I took a few steps back. He reached out and wiped my eyes with the sleeve of his hoody. I pressed my cheek against his palm and sighed. 

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get there.” I playfully punched his arm. 

“How can I when all the stupid’s staying here?” He laughed, ruffling my shoulder-length hair. 

“Baka!” I pouted to conceal my smile. 

We did our secret handshake, ending it with a pinky promise before I hugged him one last time. On my tiptoes, I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders. His arms wrapped around my waist and he lifted me up, spinning around. When we finally pulled away, he pointed at me with a stern glare. 

“Remember...no boyfriends!” 

With narrowed eyes, I dug my fingers into his ribs.

“You can go now, moron.”

He smirked, knowing he’d hit a nerve. It was no secret that his over-protective nature was a nuisance to me. 

“Aww but Akane,” he whined. “Just seconds ago you were crying for me to stay.”

“Whatever. Just call me when you get there so I know the plane didn’t crash,” I pushed him with a smile. 

Smiling back, he nodded. 

“Hai!”


	3. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find the Spotify playlist I'll be making as I write this here -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JtTAev1hryPT98lS1uIHv?si=pd2W7w4dRyinT8V8FxXVxw

I knocked softly on the apartment door, my bags by my feet. I nervously fiddled with my fingers while I waited. We hadn’t seen each other in a little under a year and although we called every day, we’d both changed and the thought of not really knowing my brother anymore terrified me. A minute passed and I checked the address on my phone. This was definitely the right place. The door opened and a guy with light blue hair appeared in front of me…

_ ‘Maybe this isn’t the right place,’  _ I thought.

His face was void of any emotion until he smiled gently.

“You must be Akane-san?” he stepped back to let me through but I didn’t move. 

“Is this Taiga’s place?” I asked worriedly.

Nodding, he took my bags from me and walked into a room while I stood there, lips parted in confusion. 

“Kagami-kun!” He shouted. “Akane-san’s here!”

Turning to me, he waved me in. 

“Come in, Kagami-kun’s straight through there, in the kitchen.”

I shook my head slightly, attempting to clear my mind, and stepped through the door. After taking off my shoes, I followed behind the guy who answered the door. 

My brother poked his head around the corner, an apron hanging from his neck. When his eyes met mine, a smile stretched across his face. 

“You made it!” He exclaimed. 

I rolled my eyes with a smile of my own. 

“Baka, I texted you when I landed.”

Wiping his hands on his apron, he rushed over to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I pressed my face against his chest and sighed happily. 

“I missed you so much!” I laughed as my eyes filled with tears. 

Pulling back, he wiped them away with his thumbs.

“I missed you too,” he whispered. “You grew out your hair?” He stated, tilting his head to the side. 

“Yeah, the short hair wasn’t right for me anymore,” I shrugged, playing with the ends of my ponytail. 

His hands sat on my shoulders and he nodded. A throat cleared behind me and I jumped. Turning to the side, the blue-haired boy stepped forward. 

“Since your brother is obviously too rude to do the honours, I guess I’ll introduce myself,” he said bluntly.

Taiga’s eyes widened in irritation before he glared at him. His friend simply ignored him, his attention solely on me. 

“I’m Tetsuya Kuroko. Kagami-kun’s friend. You’ll probably see me around school and here quite a bit,” he smiled, stretching his hand towards me. 

Taking his hand in mine, I smiled back. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you!” I beamed. “I’m Akane Kagami, this baka’s twin.” 

The rest of the evening passed in a blur with the three of us talking and eating the food Taiga had prepared. It was like we’d never been apart. And It felt like I’d known Kuroko for years. After he had gone home, I started to unpack my bags. Taiga was laying on my bed, flicking through my volleyball magazine while I set my books on the shelf and organised my desk. He sighed heavily before sitting up. I turned to him with a frown. 

“Is there anything I can do to help? I feel hopeless just laying here,” he scratched the back of his head. 

“You can hang up my tops and dresses in the wardrobe if you’re that bored,” I laughed as I pointed to the bag in the far corner. 

With a nod, he lifted the bag onto the bed and started taking things out. 

“You didn’t bring much, did you?” He observed. 

I shrugged. “I figured I could just buy anything I need while I’m here, so I just packed the essentials.” 

“The ‘essentials’ being sports magazines, manga, your laptop, and workout clothes?” he turned to me with one eyebrow raised and an amused smile.

“Hai! Exactly!” I laughed. 

He smiled and with a shake of his head, continued to put my clothes in the right places. 

After changing into a hoody and basketball shorts, and freeing my hair from its ponytail, I pulled on some fuzzy socks, grabbed my magazine and made my way to the living room. Retrieving a can of red grape Fanta and a packet of cheese puffs from the kitchen, I settled on the sofa and flicked through the pages. Once I had found the page I last read, I began reading. I’d only gotten through a few pages when the doorbell rang. Glancing around the apartment, I sighed and got to my feet. Taiga was in the shower so I guess it was down to me to answer the door. I rolled the magazine up in my hand and slowly opened the door. A tall guy with dark skin and dark blue hair stood there, looking rather bored. I watched him carefully. His eyes widened when he realised that the door was open and I was in front of him. 

“Eeermm…” He blinked distractedly as his eyes travelled from my face down to my feet. 

Coughing, I frowned in irritation. 

“My eyes are up here, baka,” I said, pointing to my face. 

His face flushed and he coughed again. 

“Is Kagami here?” He asked. 

“Who’s asking?” I folded my arms across my chest and quirked an eyebrow. 

A warm arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me back into an equally warm chest and I tilted my head back to look at my brother who was glaring at the man at the door. 

“Oi, Aomine! Quit drooling over my sister!” Taiga snarled. 

My mouth fell into an ‘o’ and I looked back at the guy.

“You’re Aomine! I’ve heard all about you,” I smirked. 

“All good things, I hope,” he smirked back, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

I scoffed and stepped forward, smacking the back of his head with my rolled-up magazine. 

“Not even close,” I muttered before walking back into the apartment and flopping on the sofa. 

“Why are you even here?” Taiga mumbled. 

“I left my jacket here after Testu’s birthday party,” Aomine shrugged.

“Oh right, I remember,” my brother nodded before going to the clothes rack by the door. 

After some rummaging, he pulled a leather jacket from the pile and held it out to him. 

“Thanks. Oi, since I’m here, fancy a quick game? I saw a street court just up the street.”

My ears immediately picked up on the word ‘game’ and I sat up. 

“Game?” I called out, an excited smile tugging at my lips. 

Aomine turned to me. 

“You play?” He looked surprised. 

“Mostly volleyball, but I learned some basketball from Taiga back in America,” I shrugged and looked at my brother. 

“Can I come?” 

“Absolutely not,” he frowned. 

Sighing heavily, I stood up and went to get my shoes. 

“Let me rephrase that. I’m coming.” 

Aomine laughed behind him and he turned with a glare. 

“Try anything funny and I’ll break your face!” He growled. 

After lacing up my trainers, I threw my basketball at my brother and jumped on his back. In the process of grabbing my legs to stop me from falling, he dropped the ball and staggered forward. Aomine picked up the ball and opened the door. 

“Do I have to carry you?” Taiga groaned in irritation. 

“I’ll tell mom you’ve been bullying me on my first day back at the motherland,” I said with a smug grin. 

“Fine,” he grunted before following Aomine outside. 

After five minutes of walking, I got bored and jump down from Taiga’s back. Jogging up to Aomine, I took the ball from his hands and started dribbling it along the pavement. I’d forgotten how comforting the feel of the leather against my palm was. When Taiga moved back to Japan without me, I stopped playing as much as I used to. That’s why I switched to volleyball. But after a year, I grew to love volleyball just as much. We soon reached the court and I rushed through the gap in the fence towards the basket. Before the others could catch up, I ran up to the three-point line and shot the ball, smiling in satisfaction when it fell through the basket. Despite the cool spring air, I took my hoody off and threw it to the side. Goosebumps covered my bare arms and I stretched my hands above my head, rolling my neck from side to side. 

“You’re gonna catch a cold!” My brother scolded. 

“Calm down, mom! I’ll be fine!” I stuck my tongue out at him and picked up the ball again. 

Aomine laughed again and snuck up behind me, swatting the ball from my hands. I turned to him with a glare, lunging forward and swooping the ball up before he had the chance to reach for it. He stood there stunned. 

“Wha- how?” He stammered in disbelief. 

“Volleyball reflexes and Taiga’s surprisingly good ability to teach,” I replied with a shrug. 

“Hey!” Taiga shouted with a scowl. “What do you mean ‘surprisingly good’?” 

Smirking, I dribbled the ball up the court and shot another basket. My brother watched me with a proud smile on his face while Aomine’s mouth was still hanging open. 

“You’ll catch flies if you’re not careful, baka,” I muttered. 

He immediately closed his mouth and outstretched his hands, expecting me to pass to him. I looked him directly in the eye and slowly dribbled towards him. His eyes widened and you could see him swallow harshly. When I was a few metres away from him, I smirked and swiftly passed the ball to Taiga, still holding his stare. He dribbled passed him and dunked the ball before Aomine even had the chance to blink. 

Sitting on the ground, I leaned against the court fence and drank my water. Taiga and Aomine were still playing, and it was starting to get dark. I stood and pulled my hoody on before stretching out my arms and legs. 

“Time to go home, morons,” I called out to them. 

Aomine shot one final basket before throwing the ball to me. I caught it and tucked it under my arm. Waving, he turned in the direction opposite to our apartment and started walking away. 

“See you guys later. It was nice meeting you, Akane!” He called back.

“I can’t believe he just said something nice,” Taiga muttered as he came up beside me. 

“Seems having his ass beat by you and Kuroko-kun put some things into perspective for him.”

We started walking home and as soon as we were through the door, I headed to my room. 

“I’m knackered so I’m off to bed. Wake me up in the morning?”

He nodded.

“Hai. I put your uniform in the wardrobe already.”

“Thank youu! See you tomorrow!”


	4. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find the Spotify playlist I'll be making as I write this here -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JtTAev1hryPT98lS1uIHv?si=pd2W7w4dRyinT8V8FxXVxw

I woke with a start to the sound of banging on my bedroom door. Groaning, I rolled over and covered my head with my blanket.

“If you want enough time to get ready for school, you better wake up now!” My brother’s voice called from the other side. 

“Go away!” I shouted back.

“You don’t want to be late on your first day, trust me.”

The sound of the door opening made me bury myself further and my arms flailed around desperately when the covers were torn from my body. 

“Dammit, Taiga. Let me sleep!”

He hooked one arm under my back and the other under my knees, lifting me up effortlessly. My eyes widened and I grabbed onto his shoulders for fear of being dropped. Tilting me slightly, he set me on my feet, keeping his hands on my arms while I gained my balance. 

“Baka! I’m perfectly capable of getting out of bed on my own!”

He looked at me with a frown.

“That’s not how it looked to me. Hurry up and get ready, I’ve made breakfast and coffee.”

Muttering curses to myself, I showered quickly and changed into my uniform skirt, blouse, and knee-high socks. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and put my glasses on before grabbing my bag and heading into the kitchen. 

Taiga washed his hands in the kitchen sink before pushing a plate of eggs and toast towards me followed by a take-out mug of coffee. 

“I’m guessing you still take it black with one sugar?” He asked.

Nodding, I leaned up to kiss his cheek. 

“You’re a lifesaver!”

We quickly ate our breakfast before locking up the apartment and making our way to school. Kuroko joined us halfway and they started talking basketball. I put one earphone in and pressed play on the podcast I had recently been listening to. Just as I got to the interview with my favourite national volleyball player, the earphone was tugged out. Scowling up at the perpetrator, I flushed when I saw Kuroko staring at me intently, my earphone dangling from his fingers. 

“We’re here,” he smiled. 

Blinking a few times, I looked up to find a relatively new-looking building. I clenched my fists at my sides and took a deep breath. Taiga stepped to my side and placed his arm around my shoulders. 

“Don't look so terrified,” Kuroko chuckled. “You’re in our class, so at least you won’t be alone.”

I smiled back, some of the nerves dissipating. 

“Hai! Thank you.”

People turned as we walked towards the doors of the school. It was a little frustrating and I could already tell what the rumours would be. Despite sharing our mother’s deep red hair, I had our father’s cerulean eyes. It was an unusual combination if you ask me, but genetics will do as they please. It wasn’t glaringly obvious that we were siblings. You’d only be able to tell after spending a fair amount of time with us - the subtle similarities become noticeable. Kuroko turned to me as I walked between them.

“Do you know what clubs you’re going to join yet, Akane-san?”

It didn’t really take much thinking about; there was only one club I had any interest in.

“Most likely the volleyball team,” I shrugged. 

“You’ll come to our practices, right?” Taiga looked down at me hopefully. “I’m sure Coach would appreciate the company and assistance.”

Playfully jabbing him in the ribs, I grinned. 

“Dummy. Of course, I’ll be at your practices.”

Smiling, he squeezed me to his side before dropping his arm. 

As we made our way to our first class, the other second-years on the basketball team joined us. Apparently, they were all in the same class. They introduced themselves as Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda. It was reassuring to know that my brother had been playing with such a close and supportive team for the past year. I couldn’t help but smile. Taiga looked down at me, one brow quirked in confusion. 

“What are you smiling about?” 

I looked up at him, the smile still on my face. Wrapping an arm around Kuroko’s shoulders and another around my brother’s waist, I pulled them close. 

“I’m just glad you found such an amazing team!” 

They both smiled and hugged me back before taking their seats at the back. I took the empty desk in front of Taiga and started laying out my books. 

As the class filled up, the teacher entered the room. Everyone stopped chatting and settled into their seats. She looked around the room and when her eyes landed on me, she smiled and clapped to get everyone’s attention. 

“Everyone listen up, we have a new student in our class today! Kagami-san, would you like to come up and introduce yourself?”

Most people turned around in confusion. Probably wondering how or why there was another Kagami in the class. I turned to look at my brother pleadingly and he just grinned, patting my shoulder in reassurance. My legs wobbled as I stood and I nervously made my way to the front of the class. Taking a deep breath, I look up to the whole class, smiling softly. The other basketball second-years were giving me encouraging thumbs-ups and it made me smile harder. 

“Um...I’m Kagami Akane, but you can call me Akane as I’m guessing you already call my brother ‘Kagami’.” 

Whispers broke out at the word ‘brother’. Sensei hushed everyone and gestured for me to continue. 

“Yeah, I’m Taiga’s twin sister. I love basketball and volleyball and I just moved back from America,” I shrugged like it was no big deal...because, to me, it wasn’t. 

Everyone said their welcomes and I took my seat, releasing a breath of relief. Taiga reached forward to give my hand a gentle squeeze and I nodded gratefully. 

The Sensei finally moved onto the maths syllabus for the term and I tried to maintain focus. My mind kept wandering and I found myself doodling random volleyball strategies in the back of my notebook. The bell signalling the end of the first lesson rand and I jumped slightly in my seat. Kuroko came to stand by my desk and was looking down at the page in front of me.

“What’s that?” He pointed to one of the strategies I’d drawn. 

“Just some volleyball strategies that came to mind. I wanted to get them onto paper before I forgot them.”

Nodding in understanding, he turned to Taiga.

“Shall we get going?”

“Hai.” My brother stood and looked to me. “You’re in all of our classes, so just stick with us until you get used to things,” he smiled gently. 

***

Soon enough, the first four classes had passed and it was time for lunch. I queued up in the cafeteria and paid for my chocolate milk and donburi bowl. Turning around, I nervously scanned the tables. To my relief, I saw Taiga, Kuroko and Furihata waving me over. I smiled and rushed over to them, taking the empty seat between my brother and Kuroko. There were a few people that I didn’t recognise and I assumed that they were the senpais on the basketball team. The only other girl at the table was sat opposite me and she offered a friendly smile before reaching her hand across the table. 

“I’m Aida Riko, the basketball coach,” she said as I shook her hand. 

Everyone else followed her lead. The two guys on either side of her smiled warmly and reached over. 

“I’m Hyuuga Junpei, the team captain,” said the dark-haired guy with glasses. 

“I’m Kiyoshi Teppei,” said the other. 

A boy with a cat-like mouth grinned widely as he popped up behind me.

“I’m Koganei! And that’s Mitobe!” He pointed towards the end of the table at a guy with thick eyebrows and a small smile on his face. He nodded at me. “He doesn’t talk, but you get used to that pretty quickly.”

“I’m the Master of Puns, Izuki Shun,” said the boy sitting next to Hyuuga-senpai. 

“And I’m Tsuchida.” The last person shook my hand briefly with a small smile. 

Nodding, I repeatedly went over everyone’s names in my head, being sure to put the faces with them. They looked at me expectantly and I face-palmed. 

“Sorry, I’m Kagami Akane. Taiga’s twin. I just moved back from America yesterday.”

Kiyoshi and Hyuuga senpai turned to Taiga with raised eyebrows.

“We didn’t know you had a sister, Kagami,” Kiyoshi said with a smile before turning back to me. “It’s nice to meet you!”

“You too!” I grinned. 

Pushing my glasses up to rest on top of my head, I started eating my donburi. I could feel someone looking at me. Glancing up, a blush settled on my cheeks when I found Izuki-senpai staring.

“Senpai. Please stop staring at my sister. It’s creepy.”

Izuki blushed and looked away.

“Sorry Akane-san,” he whispered. “It’s just that your eyes are incredible.”

I bit my lip to hide my smile and lowered my eyes. 

“Thanks and don’t worry about it.”

From the corner of my eye, I caught Taiga scowling. I punched his arm and he winced, pouting at me. 

“Stop glaring at people, baka! It’s rude.”

He looked down, still frowning and muttered an apology causing everyone to laugh. 

“Don’t forget we have a practice game against Kaijo after school today,” Riko-senpai said suddenly and everyone nodded. 

“Coach, is it okay for Akane to come with us? To watch?” Taiga asked hopefully. 

She simply shrugged.

“I don’t see why not.”

We looked at each other with a smile and I bumped my shoulder with his. 

“No pressure then,” I smirked. 


	5. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find the Spotify playlist I'll be making as I write this here -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JtTAev1hryPT98lS1uIHv?si=pd2W7w4dRyinT8V8FxXVxw

Taiga and the team had left our last class early to change into their basketball uniform. I was told to meet them at the gym so that we could walk over to Kaijo. I had no idea where that was but I’m sure I could find someone to show me. After leaving the classroom, I leaned against the wall and looked at the school map I’d printed out last night. Furrowing my brow, I tried to work out where I was and how to get to the gym. My glasses slid to the end of my nose and I pushed them up with a finger. 

“Tch.” I scowled at the piece of paper, desperately resisting the urge to rip it up. “How can something supposed to make shit easier be so difficult to read,” I muttered. 

A shadow was cast over me and I looked up in irritation to find a guy smiling gently down at me. 

“You’re Anake-san, right? New here?” He asked, stepping beside me to look down at the map in my hand.

“Is it that obvious?” I laughed. 

He shrugged. “You have been stood there glaring at the map for the past ten minutes,” he grinned. “Where are you trying to get to?”

“Ten minutes!? Crap! I’m gonna be late!” I started to panic, frantically looking around for any wall signs that might point me in the right direction. 

“If I know where you’re going, I can take you there,” he offered. 

My shoulders slumped in relief and I smiled gratefully at him. 

“I’m looking for the gym.”

Nodding, he started walking down the hall. “Right this way.”

It only took about two minutes to get there and the route was simple enough. I felt like a complete idiot. 

“So…” I trailed off. “You know my name, but what’s yours?”

I looked up at him as I waited for his reply. 

“Sohma,” he said. “Sohma Haru. You can call me Haru.” [ **a/n - Fruits Basket fans know where it’s at with this sweet angel]**

His smile was contagious. Eventually, the gym doors came into view and I could see everyone waiting outside. Taiga was just lifting his phone to his ear when his eyes landed on me. He visibly relaxed and pulled his phone away. But his body stiffened when he saw the guy walking with me. 

“Thank you for showing me here, Haru-kun,” I smiled up at him and he nodded.

“Akane…” came my brother’s rough voice. “Who is this?”

Kuroko’s stare was just as cold as his eyes moved from Haru to me and back to Haru. His gaze softened when he saw that I was okay...smiling even. 

Haru stepped forward and outstretched his hand with a smile. 

“Sohma Haru,” he said.

Taiga just glared harder. 

“What were you doing with my sister?”

“Kagami-kun, I think you need to calm down,” Kuroko tried to reason, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Not until he answers my question.” His voice was venomous. 

“Some things never change,” I muttered in irritation, stepping closer to my brother and smacking the back of his head. 

“Baka! I was lost and Haru-kun offered to show me the way here!” I hissed. 

We glared at each other without blinking for what felt like ages until Riko cleared her throat. 

“Kagami-kun, we have a game, don’t get so worked up now,” she said sternly. 

Sighing, he ruffled my hair and stepped back. I slapped his hands away and glared harder. I sighed too and turned back to Haru.

“Thank you so much for getting me here,” I smiled. “I’ll see you around.”

He smiled back and nodded, stretching his arms above his head. His eyes flickered to my brother briefly before he turned to leave. 

“No worries. See you later!” He waved.

I turned back to my brother who was still glaring at Haru’s back and jabbed him in the ribs.

“You are such an asshole!” I whisper-yelled before storming after Riko and the others who had started walking towards the front of the school. 

I ignored Taiga for the whole walk to Kaijo and talked to Kuroko as little as possible. He looked just as pissed as my brother and without reason. Jeez...the baka would kill me if he found out who was waiting back in America for me. We arrived at the front of the building and I smiled. It’s been so long since I last watched Taiga play in person. As much as I wanted to, I could never stay mad at him for long.

A very bubbly blonde guy jogged over to us, a bright grin stretching across his face. Taiga and Kuroko smiled as they shook his hand. 

“Long time no see, Kise,” my brother said. “I hope you’re ready to get your ass beat again!”

The boy scoffed and smirked.

“Not this time. You may have beaten us twice before, but this time the win is ours!”

I walked forward to stand beside Kuroko and his eyes immediately landed on me. The smirk vanished and a flirtatious smile took its place. I internally rolled my eyes. 

“Who’s the beautiful woman with you today then,” he said as he moved to face me. 

He stretched out his hand and I shook it lightly. 

“Kagami Akane, and you are?”

“Ryouta Kise,” he replied quickly before bringing the back of my hand up to his lips.

Before he could make contact, I pulled my hand away and glared at him. He looked shocked for a moment, then his eyes widened further and his mouth fell open. 

“Wait...Kagami Akane...Kagami Taiga…?” He frowned as he tried to connect the dots. 

A large body pushed me back slightly and stepped in front of me. Huffing in irritation, I hit my forehead against his back a few times.

“Yes...Kagami...meaning my sister...my twin sister,” my brother scowled. 

Kise chuckled nervously and I reached up to smack Taiga’s head...again. 

“Will you calm the fuck down!” I hissed. 

The moron had the nerve to look sorry, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. 

“It’s okay, Akanecchi,” Kise chuckled before turning to Riko and the others. “I’m sure you already know your way to the gym, but I wanted to come and meet you guys anyway. Let’s go!”

We started walking towards the gym where the game was being held and I turned to Kuroko.

“He seems nice,” I said quietly. 

“He’s always been really friendly...maybe a little too friendly,” he nodded. “But he’s lethal when in a game.”

I nodded thoughtfully but jumped slightly when a heavy arm wrapped around my shoulders. Looking up, I saw Taiga looking down at me, smiling gently. I glared and turned away. 

“Aw come on Akane, I’m sorry. You know I can’t help it. I’ve gotta look out for my little sister.”

“Okay, first of all, you’re only two minutes older than me, baka! And second of all, there’s a difference between ‘looking out’ for me and terrifying every guy I talk to.”

“He was flirting with you,” he said plainly. 

“And? What’s your point?”

“I didn’t like it.”

“Well, that’s a you problem, not a me problem. I can handle myself.”

Frowning, he ruffled my hair but didn’t say anything else. 

We arrived at the gym and while the boys went to the changing room, Riko-senpai and I went to Seirin’s bench. She was going over some of the strategies with me and I was giving her pointers when I started to hear people talking. 

“Who’s that other girl that came with Seirin?” Someone asked. 

“That’s Akanecchi, Kagamicchi’s sister.” I immediately recognised Kise’s voice as he replied. 

“She’s so beautiful oh my god I think I’m in love,” another voice whispered - not so quietly.

I looked up at that to find Kise next to three other guys who were staring at me. I smiled at him and waved. The other guys’ eyes widened as their cheeks tinted pink. 

“You know her?!” They hissed to the blonde boy who grinned smugly. 

“We only met like ten minutes ago,” I laughed, appearing beside Kise causing the others to jump and blush harder. 

“Just a word of advice, if you don’t want my brother to completely pulverise you, you should probably keep comments like that to yourself,” I smirked, knowing that they hadn’t meant for me to hear.

“I can second that!” Kise chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. 

“Kagami Akane. I just moved back from America,” I smiled, stretching my hand out to the guy in the middle. 

“Kasamatsu Yukio, Kaijo Captain,” he said, his voice quiet as his blush deepened. 

One of the others stepped closer and looked at me with his attempt at a charming smile. Kasamatsu was glaring at him from behind. 

“Moriyama Yoshitaka,” he said, clasping my hand between both of his. 

I quirked an eyebrow and laughed softly. 

“Quite the ladies man I see.”

“I try,” he winked. 

The guy I was yet to be introduced to scoffed and rolled his eyes before reaching over to give his friend a shove. Stepping forward, he shook my hand. 

“Kobori Koji,” he smiled gently. 

“Well, it’s great to meet you all.”

I was still stood talking to the Kaijo starters when the Seirin team came onto the court. To be honest, I hadn’t noticed until Kuroko popped up beside me. I smiled at him as he started talking to Kise. Kasamatsu, Kobori, and Moriyama stared at me with their mouths slightly open. 

“You noticed him?!” Kasamatsu whisper-yelled in shock. 

“Well...yeah?” I frowned, confused. “When you spend so much time with him, it’s kinda hard to NOT notice him,” I smiled and shrugged. 

“Hey! Akane! What do you think you’re doing?” Taiga shouted from the bench. 

Sighing, I turned to face him.

“Making friends, asshole. What does it look like?” I yelled back. 

The guys snickered behind me and my brother glared at them. Riko smacked the back of his head with her clipboard and I bit my lip to suppress my smile.

“Have you already forgotten the conversation you two had earlier? I swear you have a basketball for a brain!” She scolded. “Leave her be! She’s new here and needs to decide for herself who she wants to be friends with without you scaring everyone away!”

“Thank you!!” I sighed, exasperated and bowing to Riko repeatedly. 

Once everyone had calmed down, I returned to the bench and sat next to her. The game was about to start and the guys were all getting fired up. Kasamatsu and Hyuuga shook hands, determined smiles on both their faces. I turned to Riko.

“How do you think it’ll go?” I asked. 

“Honestly, it’s hard to say,” she said. “Sure, we’ve beaten them twice before but they’ve likely grown and developed just as much as we have.”

I nodded and turned back to the court just as the first whistle blew. It was an intense start. Everyone was playing as if it was a championship game. The offence was lethal and the defence was doing their best to soften their blow. There was no way they’d have enough stamina to last forty minutes if they keep going like this. Glancing at Riko from my peripheral, it appeared she was thinking the same. 

“We’ll give it five minutes,” she mumbled to herself. 

The first quarter came to a close and the whole squad was panting and sweating buckets. Riko didn’t call a timeout after five minutes because she realised it would disturb the flow of the game. We were currently tied at 24 points. The starters staggered over, wiping their faces on their shirts and gulping down water. 

“Furi, you’re up!” Riko called, turning to Furihata with a smile. 

He completely blanked, the colour draining from his face as he broke into a cold sweat. 

“I’m sorry, what?” He stammered. 

I smiled reassuringly at him and he tried to return it. 

“You did well at bringing the pace down last time we played them. You’re up.” She said firmly. 

“You’ve got this, Furihata-kun,” I grinned. 

“Ri-right...um cool...thanks? What?!”

Everyone chuckled at his nervousness and Taiga clapped him on the back. 

“We’ve got your back!”

“Yes, we play as a team and win as a team,” Kuroko smiled gently. 

Izuki took his seat on the bench as Furihata took his position as Point Guard. 

The second quarter was way more controlled. I had watched the video of their Winter Cup match against Kaijo and Furihata was a careful player then. He still is now - from what I could see - but he was stronger and more confident on the court. It made me smile. For all his nervousness before playing, the rate at which he got settled into the game was amazing. 

In the third quarter, Izuki and Furihata switched back. I high-fived him when he sat down and handed him a water bottle and a towel. 

“You were amazing,” I assured him. 

It wasn’t as intense as the first quarter, but you could see the pace gradually increasing. Watching the Kaijo guys play was just as mesmerising as watching Seirin. Kasamatsu was incredibly fast and agile. Kise’s ability to replicate other players’ moves with a single glance was inhuman. Kobori’s defence under the net was almost impenetrable if it weren’t for Kiyoshi and Taiga being complete powerhouses. And Moriyama’s unpredictable three-pointers blew my mind. How anyone could shoot like that was beyond me. 

The final quarter came and Seirin switched their offence up to focus on Taiga and Kuroko’s collaboration. Since Kuroko had sat the third quarter out, his misdirection had had some time to ‘recharge’ and luckily the only person who had figured out the Phantom Shot was Kasamatsu. With two minutes left, it was close with Seirin three points ahead. Despite being opponents, you could see everyone was having fun. It made me happy to see Taiga playing so wholeheartedly. 

Thirty seconds to go and Kaijo had a two-point lead. My hands were clenched and my teeth dug into my bottom lip as the intensity grew. The rate at which they travelled up the court, passing back and forth to avoid the opposing players and make it to the hoop was insane. Kuroko passed to the basket, setting up for an alley-oop. Taiga jumped with incredibly explosive power, the ball settling into his palm, and slammed it into the basket. 

The final whistle blew. 

A thud echoed through the gym and we all looked beneath to hoop. Kise was sat on the floor, a pained and frustrated expression twisting his face. The referee blew the whistle again.

“Defence, pushing, blue seven!” He called. “One free throw.”

Everyone stood shocked. I don’t even remember seeing Kise jump. Taiga reached a hand out with a smug smile on his face.

“Well that was stupid,” he said to the blonde boy as he helped him up. 

“I didn’t exactly think it through,” Kise frowned before shaking his head with a smile. “Damn you.”


	6. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find the Spotify playlist I'll be making as I write this here -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JtTAev1hryPT98lS1uIHv?si=pd2W7w4dRyinT8V8FxXVxw

Taiga, Kuroko and I walked back to our apartment after the game. The boys were completely spent and I wasn’t far from falling asleep myself. I unlocked the front door and kicked my shoes off on the mat before shuffling into the living room. Taiga was close behind me and after I slumped onto the sofa, he collapsed on top of me. Grunting in irritation, I tried to push him off me. He chuckled as he put his full body weight on me. 

“Aaarrgh! BAKA!! Get off!”

I was squashed further when extra weight was added. Moving my head a little to see what happened, I found Kuroko had flopped on top of Taiga, creating a pile of people. He grinned mischievously when he caught me glaring. 

“Kuroko-kun!!!! Don’t encourage him!!!”

They both laughed until a grumble disturbed them. I froze. Taiga looked down at me with an eyebrow quirked. Kuroko was trying to suppress his smile. 

“Hungry are we?” My brother smirked. 

My entire face flushed and I could feel the heat radiating from it. 

“Maybe…” I smiled sheepishly. 

He shoved Kuroko off him and onto the floor before standing up and heading to the kitchen. Frowning, I helped Kuroko up and went into my room to change. 

Once I was in my leggings and a hoodie, I grabbed a book and went back into the living room. Taiga was cooking up a storm in the kitchen and Kuroko was keeping him company, so I got comfy on the sofa and started reading. I’d just finished a couple of chapters when the doorbell rang. The boys didn’t seem to be moving from the kitchen any time soon, so with a huff, I went to answer. Pushing my glasses onto my head, I opened the door. The person coughed awkwardly and I looked up to see their face. A grin spread across my face when I saw who it was. 

“Aomine-kun!” I said in surprise. 

A blush tinted his cheeks and he smiled nervously. 

“Hi, Akane. Is Kagami in?” 

“Sure is! Kuroko-kun is too.” I stepped aside to let him in. “They’re in the kitchen.”

He took off his shoes and walked through. I followed close behind. When he stopped abruptly, I bumped into his back. I raised my hands to stop myself from face-planting and my eyes widened. I could feel his body heat through his jumper. 

“This dude is seriously hot,” I muttered to myself. 

He turned to me with a smirk and the colour drained from my face. 

“You know it,” he winked.

I smacked the back of his head and glared at him. 

“I meant literally. Your body heat is insane. Not attractive, baka!” I mumbled, looking away. 

Not wanting to be alone with this idiot anymore, I pushed him through the apartment and into the kitchen. Once we reached the archway, I peeked out from behind Aomine’s back with an over-enthusiastic smile. 

“Look who’s here!” I sang. 

The guys turned in our direction and Taiga glared at him while Kuroko maintained his usual emotionless expression. 

“What a surprise to see you here, Aomine-kun,” he said. 

“Yeah, Ahomine. What are you doing here?” Taiga mumbled. 

Aomine shrugged and leaned against the wall. 

“Just thought I’d drop by. Was going to ask if you guys fancied some streetball.”

“Yes!!” I grinned, looking at my brother hopefully.

He sighed. “I couldn’t stop you from coming even if I wanted to.”

I cheered and Aomine smiled at me holding his fist out for a bump. 

“Let’s eat first. Luckily I made a little extra. You hungry, Ahomine?” Taiga said as he started to put everything into serving bowls. 

Kuroko and I carried the bowls to the table and Aomine brought the bowls and chopsticks. Taiga eventually followed with a jug of water and some glasses. 

After finishing dinner, Aomine and I quickly did the dishes. The silence was comfortable until he decided to break it. 

“So…” he trailed off with a small smirk on his lips. “How long have you played basketball?”

I blanked as I tried to think back.

“Maybe ten years or so?” I replied. “I started playing a little while after Taiga.”

“A long time then,” he whistled. “How about volleyball?”

“Oh nowhere near as long. Only about a year. I stopped playing basketball when Taiga left me in America and decided to try something else.”

He nodded in understanding. 

“Any good at it?” He teased, gently pushing me with his shoulder.

“Good enough to get onto our school team apparently,” I laughed. 

“Maybe I’ll come and watch you play sometime,” he hummed. 

I pushed him back this time. 

“Only because you want to perv on all the girls on the team!” I muttered with a smile. 

“O-OI! Jeez. What has your brother been telling you about me?” He pouted childishly. 

“I’ve heard plenty from Kuroko-kun too,” I laughed. 

He clicked his tongue as he put the last bowl away, a frown creasing his brow. Rushing into my room, I swapped my leggings for shorts and my hoody for a baggy t-shirt before grabbing my trainers and ball. I practically bounced into the living room where everyone was waiting and grinned excitedly. Taiga scanned my outfit once before glaring at me and pointing back to my room.

“Change. Now.” 

“What? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I exclaimed.

“Nothing’s wrong with it,” Aomine mumbled, his eyes fixated on my legs.

“After that comment, everything is wrong with it!” Taiga shouted. “Are you even wearing shorts?”

Lifting the hem of my t-shirt, I glared at him. 

“Of course I am, baka!”

“Put basketball shorts on! Not volleyball shorts!”

“They’re volleyball shorts!?” Aomine whispered in shock. 

I bit my lip to stifle my giggles. 

“So short! Nice!” He mumbled to himself again.

“Do you want me to break your face?” My brother snarled. 

Aomine held his hands up defensively.

“Sorry! Sorry!”

Before World War 3 could break out, I swapped my shorts and put my shoes on by the door before stepping outside to wait. 

By the time we made it to the court, there was already a small group of juniors there. I jogged over to them with a smile before the boys could intimidate them. 

“Hi guys, do you mind if we use half of the court?” I asked. 

They stared at me for a few minutes, eyes wide and mouths open. It was quite obvious that they were trying not to check me out. Just as I was about to ask again, a shadow fell over me and I groaned in annoyance. 

“Do you mind not checking out my sister?” Taiga scowled. 

The juniors gulped and nodded. 

“Suure-sure! We’ve been here for half an hour already so we’ll sit out for a while!” One of them stammered. 

I smiled gratefully at them before turning to glare at my brother. 

“Do you REALLY have to keep doing that!?”

“You’re lucky it was just me and not Aomine too. He was muttering about beating them to a pulp,” he sulked. 

The guys started a small game on one half of the court, and after tucking the front of my t-shirt into my shorts, I started practising some shots and my dribbling. I’d been practising for about ten minutes and was just lining up for another shot when I felt a sudden heat behind me and the ball was taken from my hands. Before I could turn around, they shot the ball and it fell flawlessly into the basket. 

“Do you mind? Your showing-off is disturbing my rhythm,” I smirked as I turned to Aomine with a playful glare. 

“If you’re that easily distracted then maybe you’re not as good as you think you are, Princess,” he smirked back.

Walking closer, I stared him down (or..up I guess...considering he’s almost a foot taller than me). The cocky smirk remained on his face and his fingers twitched at his sides. My glare changed to a smirk as an idea came to mind. I took one more step closer so that we were chest to chest and his smirk faltered for a second as his cheeks tinted pink. Raising onto my tiptoes, I whispered in his ear:

“Don’t be so full of yourself, asshole.”

I turned and walked away, picking up the ball.

“Aomine…” Taiga warned, a dangerous aura surrounding him. 

Once it had started to get dark, we decided to call it a day. Aomine and Kuroko headed back to their own houses while Taiga and I made our way back to ours. I stretched my arms above my head once we got inside and yawned loudly. 

“I’d forgotten how exhausting being the new kid is,” I mumbled. 

Taiga smiled sadly at me. 

“Don’t worry, you won’t be the new kid for long.”

“I know,” I smiled. “Anyways, I’m gonna head to bed. It’s Saturday tomorrow but I don’t want to waste the day,” I said, hugging him. 

He hugged me back and ruffled my hair lovingly. 

“Sure thing, I’ll be up for a while yet so shout if you need anything.”

“Hai,” I waved as I made my way into the bathroom.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth before shuffling lazily into my room. Changing into an oversized t-shirt, I fell face-first onto my bed. 

Sleep came quickly that night and I couldn’t be more grateful. 


	7. Chapter Five

My alarm went off and - with a groan - I reached over to look at the time on my phone. Checking the tracking details my mom had sent me the other week, I smiled. It should be here by eleven and it was already nine. Picking out a pair of black skinny jeans, my Harlem Globetrotters sweater and some fuzzy socks, I quietly went into the bathroom. I could hear Taiga snoring through the wall and I laughed softly. Once showered, I dressed, brushed my teeth and did my morning skincare routine. I then applied a light layer of mascara and some tinted lip balm. Nothing beats feeling fresh in the morning. Grabbing my earphones and school books from my room, I plugged them in and resumed the volleyball podcast I was listening to yesterday morning. I slipped my phone into my pocket and headed for the kitchen. After pouring myself a glass of milk and slicing up some fruit, I laid out the ingredients for souffle pancakes - ready to make a proper breakfast when Taiga woke up - and sat at the dinner table to make a start on my homework. 

By the time I’d finished the last question on the worksheet, the doorbell rang and I jumped up excitedly. Taiga tiredly poked his head out of his room to see who it was as I pulled the door open.

“Delivery for Ms Kagami Akane,” the postman smiled. 

“Hai! Thank you so much!” I grinned as I signed his clipboard for proof of delivery. 

He turned to the next apartment and I spun around, closing the door behind me. 

“What’s that?” My brother mumbled. 

“Come and see!”

We sat on the sofa and I picked up the scissors that were conveniently on the coffee table. I used them to cut the tape on the box and squealed happily when I saw my pride and joy in its case. I pulled it out of the box and carefully took it out of the case, sighing as I ran my fingers over the smooth wood and stickers. I held it up in front of Taiga with a grin. 

“This is Duke, my ukulele.”

He gently took it from me with a smile. Admiring the pattern of the mahogany. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask for your guitar to be sent over too,” he said. 

“I thought I’d just buy a new one here if I really wanted. Ukuleles are smaller so cheaper to mail and I couldn’t live without my baby Duke,” I shrugged and he chuckled. 

“Anyways!” I jumped up, causing him to jump slightly. “Go and get dressed! I’m making pancakes!” I cheered, fist-pumping the air. 

“What kind?” He asked sceptically. 

“Fluffy souffle pancakes, duh,” I rolled my eyes.

His eyes brightened and he stood quickly, rushing into the bathroom to get ready while I went into the kitchen to start preparing the batter. 

By the time my brother came out of his room, there was a pile of pancakes on a plate in the middle of the table with a jar of honey, a bowl of fruit, sugar and lemon juice. His eyes sparkled and he sat down with me and put three on his plate. He pulled them apart into large chunks, added some fruit and smothered the combination in honey. 

“It’s no wonder you always have energy for basketball,” I laughed. “You eat like you’ve never been fed.”

“It’s not my fault your souffle pancakes are so good!” He mumbled with his mouth full. “I always over-mix the batter,” he pouted after swallowing. 

“Can’t help being awesome,” I shrugged. 

Once we finished eating, Taiga did the washing up and I took my ukulele to my room. I pulled the tuner and strap out of the front pocket of the bag and got set up at my desk. Turning on my laptop, I opened up Spotify and found my playlist of songs that I can play, setting it to shuffle. I then searched on Google for local open-mic events. There was an advertisement on the website of a cafe/bar down the street. Apparently, they were hosting an open-mic today at 4:30 PM. It was only 1:00 PM now so I had plenty of time to prepare some songs. Clicking on the ‘Sign Up’ button beneath the digital flyer, I emailed them my name, age, and the instrument I’d be playing. I received a confirmation email back a few minutes later. My hands shook with nerves and excitement. It had been a long time since I last performed but I was raring to get back to it. At the bottom of the flyer, it mentioned that performers would get a free drink and some food as well as the opportunity to play for tips. 

With a smile on my face, I skipped through song after song, taking note of the ones I liked best and knew I could play. I’d scribbled out my entire set six times before finally settling for three: Finally//Beautiful Stranger by Halsey, Imagine by Elton John and Bright by Echosmith. It would only take twenty minutes to walk to the cafe/bar and it was 3:30 so I decided to change into something a little more dressy and retouch my makeup. After changing into light blue jeans and a floral off-the-shoulder blouse, I applied some light pink eyeshadow, mascara and peachy lipgloss. Adding my rose gold bird necklace and a nice watch, I shouldered my ukulele case and went into the living room. Taiga was lounging on the sofa watching some basketball on the TV and he looked up, smiling.

“You look nice,” he commented. “Going somewhere?” His eyes drifted to my ukulele on my back.

“I thought I’d check out this cafe down the street. Come along if you fancy it,” I smiled. 

“Nah, you’re alright. You need to get used to the city by yourself eventually,” he smiled reluctantly. “But call me if you get lost or worried, okay?”

“Hai captain!” I saluted with a grin.

I pushed my feet into my white converse and started the walk to the cafe/bar. 

The walk was warm and peaceful, and when I arrived at 4:20, the cafe was half full. I went up to the counter and let the elderly woman know that I had signed up for the open-mic night. 

“That’s lovely! We don’t get many youngsters performing these days,” she smiled kindly. 

“Well, I’m hoping to make it a regular thing,” I grinned. 

“How wonderful!” Her eyes sparkled. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Just an orange juice please,” I said as I placed some money on the counter. 

“Take a seat, dear. I’ll bring it over to you,” she said softly. 

I bowed slightly in thanks before taking a seat close to the makeshift stage. I put my ukulele case on the seat beside me and had a quick read over the lyrics and chord for my chosen songs. A couple of minutes later, the woman arrived with my drink and I thanked her.

“You’re up first, is that okay?” She asked gently. 

“Hai! Thank you!”

Apparently, those people doing multiple songs would be spreading their set out across the evening. This was fine with me. Doing three songs in a row after not singing in so long would only end in disaster. 

Things started to quiet down as we drew closer to opening; I put my notebook back in my bag and quickly tuned my ukulele before attaching the strap. Taking a deep breath, I made my way onto the stage and took a seat on the stool in front of the microphone. I crossed one leg the other, getting comfortable and slid the strap over my shoulder. The curve of the body sat perfectly on my thigh and I smiled, finally feeling calm. The audience waited patiently for me to start. Positioning my fingers on the first set of strings, I began playing the chords for the Halsey song I chose - Finally//Beautiful Stranger. I closed my eyes as I began to sing. A sharp intake of breath could be heard from the back of the bar but I was too engrossed in the music to care. 

Strumming the final chord, I opened my eyes and breathed deeply. My face flushed as the bar erupted in applause and I stood, bowing slightly. A pair of dark grey eyes met mine from the back and I smiled, recognising him. My smile widened when I saw him start to walk towards the stage and a blush tinted his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he got comfy on the stool and adjusted his guitar. I’d never met any guys that were both into the arts AND sports. It was nice to see. His eyes landed on me briefly and I grinned, giving him a discreet thumbs-up. He smiled back and seemed to relax a little. Once he was settled, he started playing an upbeat tune that I recognised immediately. Quietly taking out my notebook, I scribbled the song and his name in the back as a reminder. 

When the song ended, everyone clapped and cheered. As he left the stage, I gestured to the empty chair by my table and he came to sit with me.

“You were amazing!!” I exclaimed quietly as the next person got set up. 

“Thanks,” he said, his face flushing.

“It’s so nice to know someone else who likes to come to these things as much as I do! You looked like you were really into your performance!” I continued. “It’s Kasamatsu-senpai, right?” 

He smiled and nodded as he set his guitar beside him. 

“Kagami-san, right?” 

“Hai!” I nodded too. “But you can call me Akane. Everyone calls my brother ‘Kagami’ and I prefer my friends to call me by my first name.”

“Friends?” He blinked in surprise. 

I flushed. Right...We had only met today and he might not even want to be my friend. I started to panic.

“Uh...I mean...well yeah...if you want to be?” I rambled, internally cringing. 

My nerves seemed to calm his nerves and he smiled gently. 

“I’d like that a lot,” he said. 

Sighing in relief, I smiled too. 

“Say...I still have two more songs to do but would you like to do a duet?” I asked, averting my eyes.

“That’d be awesome!” His eyes brightened. 

Grinning, I pulled my notebook back out of my bag and he shuffled round to sit next to me, peering at the page. I flicked through to my list of potential duet songs and circled the ones I thought would suit our voices combined. He pointed at the page.

“How about Ireland by Liza Anne?” He asked. 

“Sounds good to me! Do you know the chords?”

“I’ve heard it before but never looked it up,” he said sceptically.

I found the song in my notebook and slid it over to him. It had the lyrics, guitar chords and ukulele chords all colour coded. Plugging my earphones into my phone, I found the song and handed one of the buds to him and used the other. We listened through a couple of times, making notes on the page for tempo and verse allocation. 

After a couple of other performances, we stood and made our way to the page. I stepped up to the microphone and smiled at the audience. 

“I hope you don’t mind. I was supposed to do three songs this evening but I’ll be swapping one for a duet.”

I stepped back and pulled the spare stool forward. Kasamatsu adjusted the strap and capo in his guitar and got comfortable. After quickly running over the lyrics and chords in my head, I turned to him with a smile. I played the first few notes, starting the song off slowly and softly. The first verse was mine and as I neared the end of it, he added his part of the guitar. We sang the chorus together, harmonising perfectly. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. I continued playing, matching his tune as he sang his verse and we came together again for the bridge leading into the chorus. This continued until we reached the end and we were both breathing heavily as the bar erupted in cheers. I smiled brightly, turning to Kasamatsu and giving him a high-five. He pulled me forward into a hug and my eyes widened in surprise. After a couple of seconds, I hugged him back and he jumped in shock.

“Gomen! Gomen!” He apologised, but I waved him off. “I got caught in the moment,” he explained, scratching the back of his neck. 

“It’s okay,” I smiled. 

We both performed the rest of our songs and relaxed into our chairs after our last. The lady running the counter rushed over to us, bowing repeatedly and thanking us. I grinned at her and thanked her too. 

“What would you lovelies like to eat? As promised,” she asked, her eyes creasing in the corners with her smile. 

“Just vegetable donburi for me, please.” 

I looked over at Kasamatsu for him to order. His eyes held mine.

“I’ll have the same, please.”

Once we finished our food, I checked my watch and swore when I saw the time. I left Taiga at 4:00 PM and it was now 9:15 and very dark outside. I looked to Kasamatsu with a smile.

“I’m afraid I need to go now. My brother will be worrying.” I shouldered my ukulele bag and stood.

“I’ll walk you. It wouldn’t be right for me to let you walk home alone at this hour,” he said as he stood too. 

“Thank you so much, Kasamatsu-senpai,” I bowed slightly.

“You can call me Yukio,” he mumbled shyly. “...if you like.”

I nodded and smiled in reply. We left the cafe/bar after tipping the staff and saying goodbye to the other performers. A light breeze blew through the street and I shivered, cursing myself for not bringing a jacket. 

“Are you cold?” Yukio frowned. 

“A little, but my apartment isn’t far so I’ll be okay.”

Before I could object, my ukulele was pulled from my back and a fleece was draped over my shoulders. 

“Wear this. You can just return it whenever we next see each other,” he smiled. 

I blushed.

“Thank you, Yukio-kun.”

The walk home was as peaceful as the walk there. We talked about anything and everything, laughing until our stomachs hurt. He walked me right to the door and I fished my key from my pocket. 

“Before you go, I don’t suppose I could get your number?” He smiled. “Please?”

“Sure!” I grabbed my pen from my bag and then his hand, turning it palm up.

His fingers twitched as I wrote my number on his hand. Looking up at him with a grin, I kissed his cheek and opened the door. 

“I had a great time tonight, Yukio-kun! Let’s do it again some time!”

Taiga was stood right by the door, a frown on his face. It deepened when his eyes landed on my new friend.

“Kasamatsu,” he stated. 

“Hello Kagami,” Yukio nodded. 

“What are you doing with him?” He turned his attention to me. 

“I bumped into him while I was out so we hung out together,” I shrugged. 

“Would you rather I let her walk home alone?” Yukio continued, raising an eyebrow at my brother. 

Taiga clicked his tongue in irritation. 

“Of course not. Thanks, man.” 

I sighed in relief as my brother reigned in his over-protectiveness, patting his chest as I moved beside him. 

“Thanks again, Yukio-kun,” I smiled. “See you soon!”

“Hai!” He grinned before turning and walking away. 

My brother turned to me, his gaze expectant, and I huffed. Walking into the living room, I plopped down on the sofa. He sat down beside me. I could tell he was waiting for me to speak, so I did. 

“I went to an open-mic night at a cafe down the street,” I began. “Yukio was there too and we started talking and sang a duet together and then he walked me home.”

He nodded and took a deep breath. 

“Did you have fun?”

I completely blanked. He wasn’t interrogating me or asking absurd questions about whether or not Yukio tried anything with me. But now that I thought about it, he didn’t seem at all flustered or flirty with me after we finished singing together. The thought made me smile more. 

“It was awesome!” I exclaimed, turning to him with bright eyes. 

He chuckled at my enthusiasm and ruffled my hair. 

“Good, I’m glad.”


	8. Chapter Six

My alarm blared at 6:00 AM on Sunday morning, thanks to the Seirin girls’ volleyball team having morning practice. I hadn’t officially joined yet, but I thought I’d make a good impression by attending my first weekend practice. After showering quickly, I changed into my volleyball shorts and t-shirt and put a hoody and sweats over the top. Packing my bag with my volleyball shoes, a face towel, a water bottle and some snacks, I quietly walked into the kitchen, expecting my brother to still be sleeping. He was not. He looked at me in surprise from the sofa.

“You’re up early on a Sunday,” he frowned. 

“I could say the same to you,” I smiled. “I thought I’d go weekend practice for the volleyball team,” I shrugged. 

“Nice! Well, I’m playing streetball with a few friends early in the afternoon. Drop by when you’re finished?”

“Hai!” I kissed his cheek and waved goodbye as I put on my outdoor trainers and left. 

As I arrived at the front gate at 8:00, I walked up to the guard in the watch box. He smiled at me as I approached. 

“Hi, I’m Kagami Akane, second year. Here for the girls’ volleyball practice?” I said as I showed him my student card. 

With a nod, he opened the gate and I waved in thanks as I headed for the second gym. Knocking on the door, I poked my head in. Ten faces turned in my direction and I flushed. I took my outdoor shoes off at the door, slipping on my volleyball shoes. 

“Ohayo! I’m Kagami Akane. I just transferred here on Friday and was wondering if I could join the team?” I smiled gently. 

A woman in a tracksuit, holding a clipboard stepped forward with a grin. 

“Hello! You emailed me just before you moved, right? I’m coach Goya.”

I bowed in greeting.

“I wasn’t sure if we had to wear uniform to practice, so I just wore what I’d normally wear when training,” a sheepish grin tugged at my lips as I took off my hoody and sweats. 

The coach nodded before turning to the rest of the team.

“I know I don’t have to say this to you guys, but still, I expect you to play nice and be welcoming.” She turned back to me. “Which position are you after?”

I fiddled with my fingers nervously, worried about upsetting the other players.

“Well I’ve spent the last year as a spiker but I can set too so I don’t mind really.”

“We might move you around a bit throughout games then if that’s okay.” She nodded with a smile. 

We spent the first couple of hours just hanging out. I got to know the rest of the team and the coach, and they got to know me. It turned out that we got along really well. Some of the girls happened to be in my classes which was a nice surprise. The captain was Sato Asami, a third-year  **[Legend of Korra fans know where it’s at although I’m only using her name and appearance for the character]** . She was somewhat strict but also very nice and friendly. The coach went over some strategies, the upcoming competitions, and positions with us. I was told that I’d be starting on the bench - which was fine with me as I was a newbie - but that I could be switched in at any time. 

The last two hours were used for practice. My playstyle seemed to gel really well with the rest of the team’s which was a relief. We practised sets, spikes and serves before playing some short games to put what we’d learned to use. Before we knew it, it was midday and the session was over. Due to the warm weather, I stuffed my hoody and trousers in my bag after changing my shoes. 

“Thank you so much for an awesome first practice!” I bowed with a grin. “I can’t wait for Tuesday’s practice.”

“3:30 sharp!” The coach called with a warm smile. 

“Hai!” I waved before making my way to meet my brother. 

I sipped my water as I walked and eventually, the court came into view. I immediately recognised Taiga, Kuroko, Kise and Yukio. But there were two faces I didn’t recognise, one with grassy green hair and one with black hair. Jogging over, I smiled at everyone. My brother came over to give me a quick hug. 

“How was practice?” He asked. 

“It was great! They’re thinking of having me swap between spiker and setter depending on the situation but either way, I get to play,” I beamed. “And everyone’s so nice! Coach Goya made me feel right at home!”

“That’s brilliant, Akane,” he smiled while ruffling my hair.

“Who’s that, nanodayo?” A voice said from behind Taiga.

“That’s Akanecchi, Kagamicchi’s twin,” Kise stopped beside his friend. 

“She’s cute,” the black-haired guy whispered. 

Taiga turned to glare at him and he burst out laughing. 

“It’s nice to see you again so soon, Akane-chan,” Yukio smiled and I grinned jogging over to him.

“You too, Yukio-kun!”

“CHAN?!” - “SINCE WHEN WERE YOU GUYS ON FIRST NAME BASIS?” Everyone but Kuroko exclaimed at once.

We both shrugged like it’s nothing. I turned to the green-haired guy and his friend, stepping forward and extending my hand. 

“Kise-kun already told you but I’m Kagami Akane. You can call me Akane though,” I smiled. 

“Takao Kuzanari,” the black-haired boy grinned as he shook my hand. “This here is Tsundirima Shintarou,” he smirked, pointing to his friend.

“I am not a tsundere, Bakao,” he sighed and shook my hand too. “Midorima Shintarou.”

His forest-green eyes met my cerulean ones and a small smile tugged at his lips. I smiled back.

“I’ll make a point of warning you now, Taiga is very overprotective and I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“Oi!” He shouted from where he was beside Kuroko. 

“Am I wrong?” I deadpanned with one eyebrow raised. 

He looked away, frowning and scratching the back of his neck.

“That’s what I thought.”

I sat to the side while they played three-on-three, playing on my phone, taking photos of them playing and cheering whenever someone made a shot. 

“Akanecchii!! Why don’t you ever cheer for me!?” Kise whined childishly. 

I grinned at his pouty face and stuck my tongue out at him.

“I’ll cheer for you when you make a shot!”

“Well if that’s all it takes,” he smirked and his eyes suddenly got serious. 

“Oh shit…” Taiga sweatdropped. “Dude, don’t take this game so seriously!”

“Nope, it’s done now,” he began, grinning. “If I have to shoot to get Akanecchi to cheer for me then I won’t stop shooting.”

Both my brother and Yukio glared at him, the latter running to kick him in the back.

“Asshole! You don’t need to keep trying to impress her!”

“Is that because you’re interested, senpai?” the blonde grinned mischievously. 

Yukio’s face switched from angry to blank as he smacked his teammate on the back of the head.

“It’s not like that with us, baka,” he muttered. “She’s more like a little sister to me.”

“Aww, Yukio-kun! That’s so sweet!” I cooed overdramatically. 

He playfully glared at me and I laughed. 

“But didn’t you guys only hang out once?” Taiga frowned. 

“Well yeah, but when you really gel with someone, you can tell from the start what kind of relationship you’ll have, right?” He looked to me for confirmation and I nodded. 

“He may have been all flustered and shy when we met at Kaijo but when we bumped into each other and hung out, it was completely different,” I finished with a soft smile. 

It was 3:00 PM by the time people started dispersing. Midorima and Takao were the first to leave, followed shortly by Kise. Yukio stuck around to keep me company while Taiga and Kuroko worked on some of their combo moves. When they finally stopped, we all stood around unsure of what to do. 

“Kuroko, want to come over for dinner?” Taiga broke the silence first. 

“That’d be nice, thank you,” he smiled. 

Yukio turned to me. “Fancy working on some duets for open-mic?”

“Definitely!” I grinned. “Taiga, it’s okay if Yukio-kun comes over too right?”

My brother shrugged, though you could see the resistance in his eyes. 

“It wouldn’t be fair of me to say no.”

Yukio’s eyes widened along with mine and I beamed, pulling him into a hug. 

“I’ll need to drop by my house real quick to pick up my guitar. I’ll be there in about half an hour?”

“Hai. Gives me time to get changed.”

“Cool, well I’ll see you all in a bit. Thank you, Kagami,” he smiled at my brother who’s lips twitched slightly in return as he nodded. 

Once we got home, I had a quick shower and changed into my usual leggings and NBA sweater. I opted for slippers rather than fuzzy socks and by the time I’d put my hair up and put my glasses on, the doorbell was ringing. I dashed to the door before Taiga could and pulled it open, grinning at my friend with his guitar on his back and wearing jeans and a flannel shirt rather than his previous sports gear. 

“It’s so good to see you again!” I joked. 

“You saw me thirty minutes ago, baka,” he rolled his eyes with a smile. 

Laughing, I grabbed his hand and led him inside. He took off his shoes and waved to Kuroko and Taiga who had poked their head out of the living room. 

“Thanks again for letting me come over, Kagami,” Yukio smiled. 

“Sure, no problem,” he smiled back. “Akane, door open.” 

“Hai, papa.” I glared at my brother. 

Kuroko laughed from beside him, earning a jab to the ribs. 

I walked into my room and turned to find Yukio standing in the doorway.

“You can come in you know,” I smiled softly. 

Nodding, he walked in slowly, looking around. This was only my third day here, yet I’d already covered my walls in photos and posters from home. Some were from anime, others from volleyball and a few from basketball. My shelf was full of mostly manga and some figurines I managed to fit in my bags. My desk was littered with notebooks, worksheets and my laptop. 

“They say you can tell a lot about a person from their room,” he grinned. 

“I poured my heart and soul into the decoration,” I waved my arms around dramatically. 

He laughed. 

I grabbed my laptop, music notebook, and ukulele before sitting on the bed with my back to the headboard. 

“Come sit down,” I smiled.

Nodding, he sat adjacent to me, his back against my wall. 

“When is the next open-mic night?” I asked absentmindedly. 

He fiddled with his phone briefly before answering. 

“Two days away, but we don’t have to do all of them.”

“I have practice on Tuesday anyway, so I don’t think I’ll be able to. We could just do the Saturday shows?”

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. 

We’d spent the best part of two hours going through all of our playlists on Spotify and compiling a new playlist for duets. We picked our favourites and I made a note of them in my notebook. After deciding on a song, we finally got round to playing some music. Like at the open-mic night, we wrote down the lyrics and chords for both instruments before making arrangement notes at the side and highlighting our verses. We decided to have a run-through. I started, playing the first bars on my ukulele and counting myself in from three. The first verse was mine and the bridge. Yukio joined in with the chorus vocals and started playing his guitar when we came to his verse. 

When we’d finished the song, there was a soft knock at my door. Kuroko and Taiga were stood there wide-eyed, my brother’s fist still in contact with my door. I smiled at them both and Yukio’s face flushed bright red. 

“Um...dinner’s ready?” Taiga said though he sounded unsure. 

“Great!” I grinned. “Coming, Yukio-kun?”

“H-hai,” he whispered, his eyes glued to the ground. 

Once my brother and Kuroko had gone back to the living room, I laid a hand on Yukio’s shoulder. He looked down to me, his eyes swimming with embarrassment and his face still flushed. 

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” I smiled softly. “You’re an amazing musician but if you don’t want them to talk about it then they won’t.” 

With a deep breath, he eventually smiled. 

“Thanks, Akane-chan,” he ruffled my hair. “I don’t mind people hearing, I guess I was just caught off guard.”

We made our way to the dining area and took our seats at the table. We bowed our heads and said ‘thank you for the food’ before digging in. 

“I’ll forever be jealous of your culinary skills,” I muttered, glaring playfully at my brother. 

“And I’ll be forever jealous of your baking skills,” he shrugged, shovelling noodles into his mouth. 

“It’ll forever baffle me how you can eat so much,” Yukio added, staring wide-eyed at Taiga.

“She’s just as bad!” He exclaimed, pointing at me with his chopsticks. 

I blushed and laughed nervously. “Shut up, baka!”

“Kagami-kun, it’s rude to point,” Kuroko piped in, as monotonous as always. 


End file.
